Machine for treating fabrics



Feb. 5,1935'.

H. L. GALSON MACHINE FOR TREATING' FABRICS Filed July 6, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 5, 1935.

' WITNgssEs H. L. GALSON CHINE FOR TREATING FABRICS Filed July 6, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- mm3/L. dqlsm UA TToRNEYs.

Feb. 5, 1935. H, GALSQN n A 1,989,977

MACHINE FOR TREATING FABRICS Filed July s. 19:51 5 sheets-sheet :s

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Patented Feb. 5., 1935 PATENT' ol-I-lclez-l MACHINE FOR TREATHG FABRICS .-Henry L. Galson, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to' The Philadelphia Drying Machinery Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation o! Pennsylvania y Application July s, 1931, serial No. 548,926

5 claims. (cieli-12)" This invention relates to machines for drying or otherwise treating fabrics in continuous lengths; and it has more particular reference lto machines of the type in which the fabricV is conveyed while supported in festoons on transverse poles of aconveyor incidentto progressionV through a treating chamber.'

In connection witha treating machine of the indicated type I aim to provide means whereby the conveyor poles are periodically rotated to.

change the A position of the fabric progression through the chamber, thereby to avoid marring of the fabric by the poles and at the same time to ensure uniform lateral contraction thereof during the treatment.

A further object of my invention is to provide simple and reliable means to prevent rotation .of the poles in the intervals intermediate-the pole turning means, to prevent slippage and entanglement the fabric, as well as during feed-v ing and reingfa of the fabric from the conveyor.

Still other o jects and attendant advantages Awill be manifest from 'the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. I is a side elevation of a drying machine, with an intermediate portion thereof broken out, conveniently embodying the present invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of the left-hand (as considered in FigrI) 4or delivery end of the machine. Y

, Fig. m is a fragmentary detail plan View taken as indicated by the arrows III-III in Fig. I showing the devices for rotating the conveyor poles. Y

Fig. IV is a fragmentary detail view taken as indicated by the arrows IV-IV in Fig. 111; and, Fig. V is a cross sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows V-V in Fig.

As herein depicted, the machine comprises ahorizontally elongate treating chamber Lwith a structural iron skeleton frame work 11 to support its side Walls and roof which latter are, in reality, constructed double from sheet metal with interposition of suitable thermo-insulation after common practice in this art. At opposite ends, the

framework 11 supports bearings for transverse sprockets 16-19 pass longitudinally through the upper part of the chamber 10, and thenvdo'wnward of the delivery (left hand) end of the machine returning through the lower part ofthe said chamber to the feeding (right hand) end .of the machine where they travel upward within the said chamber. v At uniformly spaced intervals,A

- the conveyor chains 20 support crosswise between them poles 21 which are adapted to sustain the continuous material M being treated in festoons F, see Fig. Il. As shown, the poles 21 are in this instance formed from tubing; and said poles are supported, with capacity for rotation, by inwardly projecting studs 22 of the conveyor chains 20; see Figs. III, IV and V. In order that the slack of the chains 20 may be taken up as may be required from time to time.' theI bearings for the shafts 13er the sprocket wheels 1': at the feeding ,1-

end of the machine are mounted on horizontal lslideways. 23 so as to be adjustable by means of screws 24. The material M is fed vinto the machine over a spreader bar 25 which is securedto the framework 1l, and from this spreader bar passes over and under idler rollers 26, 2'?v enroute to a larger roller or drum 28. From this drum 28 the material M enters through an opening 29 in the roof of the enclosure 10 for descent between successive poles 21 of the conveyor, the speed of said drum being soy ordered with relation to the travell of the conveyor as to predetermine the formation of festoons F of uniform lengths. After having traversed the chamber 10, the material M is withdrawn from the conveyor poles 21 vertically through an opening 30 in the roof of the treat ly to a suitable folding or packaging mechanism not illustrated; To facilitate drying,.the air is circulated'laterally within thechamber -10 by a series of fans 32 which are located-at suitable intervals along said chamber above the upper run` of the pole conveyor. The fans 32 may be driven` by separate motors, or they may be beltcoordinated with any other type of driving means as found convenient or desirable.

Incident to progression through the chamber 10the upper and lower horizontal runs ofthe conveyor chains 20 are respectively supported' against-sagging by angle tracks 35 on which theirirollers run, the said tracks being" secured to the frame 11 of the machine alongfopposite sides of the'treating chamber 10i-*i1 At spaced Y.

. points along the upper vtracks 35 are devices 36.

which are instrumental in turning the :abra-r' poles 21 periodically during th treating perid"` for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned. These devices' 36' are exact duplicates of one another, and, as shown in Figs. III, IV and V, cach com'- prises a pair of inwardly reaching drop brackets 37 which are secured in spaced relation to the underside of the track 35 and which support between them adjacent the track, a toothed gear rack 38. Secured to one end of each conveyor pole in line with the gear racks 38, are actuators in the form of mutilated gear pinions 39, i. e. gear pinions with teeth extending only half way around them. Also secured to the poles 21 at one end immediately outward of the pinions 39, are guide elements or radial lugs 40 which are normally confined between upper and lower guard plates-41 and 42 aixed to, and extending somewhat inward of the track in the intervals between the devices 36, see Fig. V. The arrangement just described will obviously prevent the conveyor poles 21 from rotating while they travel between the devices 36, with the teeth of the gear pinions 39 disposed forwardly in the direction of travel of the conveyor as at A in Fig. IV. As each of the pinions 39 encounters the toothed rack-of the device 36 it will be seen that the corresponding conveyor pole 21 is turned at B in Fig. IV through vsubstantially three fourths of a revolution when its radial lug will occupy a downward position as at C. Immediately upon disengagement of the pinion 39 from the rack 38, the lug 40 on the pole 21 encounters a cam 43, bolted to the track 35 in advance of said rack, with the result that the pole 21 is turned through a final quarter revolution, while the cam 43 at the same time guides the lug 40 between the next pair of the guard plates 41, 42 also after the manner shown at D in Fig. IV. Each of the devices 35 thus causes a complete rotation of the conveyor poles 21, as a consequence of which the width of material M previously in contact with the pole is advanced and brought into the clear for access of the circulated air to both of its sides. By repeated rotations of the conveyor poles 21 successively in the manner explained, it will be evident that the material M is accorded freedom for uniform lateral contraction at all points with attendant preclusion of wrinkles or blemishes which might otherwise result from contact with the poles 21.

The conveyor poles 2l are prevented from rotating incident to rounding the sprocket 18 through association with said sprocket of a disk 44 affording an annular tread, see Fig. II, which tread cooperates with an arcuate extension 45 of the contiguous guideplate 41 in confining the travel of radial lugs 40 on said poles. Provisions similar to the above are made in connection with the other conveyor sprockets 16, 17 and 19. During vertical travel of the conveyor chains 20 at opposite ends ofthe chamber 10, parallel guard plates 46 and 47, like the plates 41 and 42, operate in a like manner to confine the radial lugs 40 on the poles 21 thereby to keep the latter from rotating.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for drying or otherwise treating fabrics in continuous lengths, means for progressing the fabric comprising a pair of spaced sprocket chains supporting between them a Asuccession of poles over which said fabric is festooned; mutilated pinions with individually associated radial lugs secured to the poles; guides confining the travel of the radial lugs; gear racks at intervals along the path of the sprocketl chains adapted to actuate the mutilated pinions and thereby effect a substantially three-quarter revolution of the poles; and fixed cams associated with the gear racks .and coacting with the radial lugs to complete the revolution of said poles with corresponding change in the position of the fabric.

2. In a machine for drying or otherwise treating fabrics in continuous lengths, means for progressing the fabric comprising spaced conveyor chains trained about sprocket wheels and supporting between them a succession of poles, with individual actuators and spaced guide projections, over which the fabricis festooned; spaced means in the machine coacting with the actuators to effect periodic independent rotation of the poles incident to progression through the machine for changing the position of the fabric on said poles, and guard means normally engaged by the guide projections to prevent turning of the poles in the intervals between the rotating means and also during passage around the sprockets aforesaid.

3. In a machine for drying or otherwise treating fabrics in continuous lengths including means for progressing the fabric through the machine comprising a pair of spaced sprocket roller-link chains supporting between them, with capacity for independent rotation, a succession of poles over which the fabric is festooned; mutilated gear pinions with individually associated radial lugs respectively secured to the poles; toothed racks at intervals along the path of the conveyor chains to periodically actuate the pinions and rotate y the poles, thereby to change the position of the fabric on said poles; and parallel guides confining the travel of radial lugs aforesaid to prevent rotation of the poles in the intervals between the` pinion-actuating toothed racks.

4. 'Ihe combination of claim 3 wherein the guides consist of angle-section track components for the conveyor chain rollers with associated upper and lower guard plates between which the pole radial lugs are normally confined.

5. In a machine for drying or otherwise treating fabrics in continuous lengths, means for progressing the'fabric comprising a pair of spaced conveyor chains trained about sprocket wheels at opposite ends of said machine and supporting between them, on inwardly projecting' studs and with capacity for independent rotation, a succession of tubular poles over which the fabric is festooned, each'said pole having at oneA end a radial lug; a mutilatedlgear 'on each pole in proximate relation to the radial lug; rack and cam means at intervals along the path of the cpnveyor chains for periodically effecting acomplete rotation. of the respective poles to-change the position 'of the fabricv thereon.;v inner and outer paralleling guard plates normally engaged by the pole radial lugs to prevent turning of the poles in the intervals between the-rack and cam means; a disk associated with each sprocket wheel providing an annular tread, and an arcuate extension of each contiguous outer guard plate for cooperation with-said tread in vconfining the radial lugs to a path of travel concentric with-the sprocket wheel when rounding the latter.

HENRY L. GALSQN. 

